TSA rule about carrying duty free liquids through customs

[Princess Chatterer]

"When traveling from an international location and transferring to a domestic flight, any duty free liquid, gel or aerosol item from the origination country must be in a tamper evident bag with a receipt dated in the last 24 hours. But the duty free shops in some countries do not have those regulation bags and some cruise operators will only place the items in the tamper evident bags if you ask for them. So remember to pay attention! After going through Customs, if the item is not in a tamper evident bag, place it into your suitcase and check the bag in with the airline before heading to the checkpoint for your connecting flight."

[cb at sea]

Easiest to just put ALL liquids in a checked bag.

[LHT28]

usually  your bags  are through checked  from A to C  so when connecting  at B  you do not see your  bags

Just buy your duty free at  B  no problem then 😉

[zqvol]

As long as you buy after clearing customs and security, (Like in San Juan, STT, or Vancouver) you can carry anything on board you want.

[mom says]

Did you guys really read what the OP was saying? If buying duty free at the departing airport, your bags have already been checked. So the duty free liquids are being carried on the flight. First flight lands back in your  home country, so you have to go through Immigration and Customs WITH your checked bags. You have to remember to pack that duty free in your checked bags before Re checking them for your next (domestic) flight and going through security again. Otherwise it will be confiscated at security. Example: buy a bottle of single malt at LHR duty free. Land in New York to clear Customs and Immigration, then connect to your next flight to your home airport. NY is where the potential problem would be if you don't pack away your booze.

Edited October 18, 2018 by mom says

[Aquahound]

6 hours ago, LHT28 said:

usually  your bags  are through checked  from A to C  so when connecting  at B  you do not see your  bags

Just buy your duty free at  B  no problem then 😉

 

Unless they pre-clear US Customs in the originating foreign airport, they need to claim their bags in the US and re-check them before connecting on to a domestic flight.  

[sanger727]

7 hours ago, mom says said:

Did you guys really read what the OP was saying? If buying duty free at the departing airport, your bags have already been checked. So the duty free liquids are being carried on the flight. First flight lands back in your  home country, so you have to go through Immigration and Customs WITH your checked bags. You have to remember to pack that duty free in your checked bags before Re checking them for your next (domestic) flight and going through security again. Otherwise it will be confiscated at security. Example: buy a bottle of single malt at LHR duty free. Land in New York to clear Customs and Immigration, then connect to your next flight to your home airport. NY is where the potential problem would be if you don't pack away your booze.

The OP lost me when he/she switched to ‘some cruise operators will only place in the tamper proof bags if you ask’. Yes, if you purchase duty free liquids after going through security, they need to be in the proper packaging with receipts if you plan on continuing to a connecting flight. How does a cruise operator play into that. It sounds as though they want to purchase duty free on the cruise and then carry onto the flight. I’ve never heard of that being a thing. I’ve always been under the impression that you could carry liquids purchased past security into flights because they were sourced through the airport and considered to be not dangerous. Not sure how a random bottle of booze brought on with the bag you could have carried off your last flight has any more security than any other liquid you can carry on.

[LHT28]

9 hours ago, Aquahound said:

 

Unless they pre-clear US Customs in the originating foreign airport, they need to claim their bags in the US and re-check them before connecting on to a domestic flight.  

Can you buy duty free  for Domestic flights??

[SRF]

On 10/19/2018 at 9:11 AM, LHT28 said:

Can you buy duty free  for Domestic flights??

 

Many "duty free" shops will sell to Domestic flight passengers, but at a high duty paid price.

 

This was common for many years in the EU before I saw it in the US.

 

BTW, in many cases, "duty free" does not mean a good price. 😄

 

Edited October 23, 2018 by SRF